The Church Building

St Nicholas is the ancient parish church of Stevenage and has served the community for centuries.

The current parish of St Nicholas extends around the northern edge of the Borough of Stevenage. It encompasses parts of both the old and new towns and some of the recent housing development of Great Ashby.

The Saxon church on this site was replaced by a Norman one in about 1100 AD, but the only remaining part of this is the great, thick-walled flint tower which houses a ring of eight bells. The church structure has been partially rebuilt so many times that it is a patchwork of nine centuries of local endeavour.

It is a Grade 1 listed building and includes an entrance porch, nave, north and south aisles, choir, Lady chapel, Trinity chapel and vestry. The chapels were both endowed. There are many items of interest in the church including an ancient stone font with a medieval carved wooden cover, six 14th century misericords, a carved reredos dating from 1890, a Victorian organ and a number of stained glass windows.

The church comfortably seats about 250 people and there is a recently refurbished Parish Room off the south aisle, with a well-equipped kitchen, accessible toilet and two further toilets upstairs.

The churchyard is closed but linked to the Council-run Weston Road cemetery by a footpath. There are important and rare wild flower areas in the churchyard and bats inhabit the belfry.

For much more information, we do have an excellent guide book available to borrow or purchase in church.